Japan Partnering Award: Development of international stem cell biobanks to protect and promote the genetic diversity of poultry resources
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: The Roslin Institute
Abstract
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| Description | This grant is about communication/exchange of laboratory techniques used for cryopreservation of chicken breeds. We shared our methods with a laboratory in Japan (Dr Tagami) to improve the preservation of chicken species in case of disease outbreaks such a Avian Influenza. We have discovered that the issues surrounding food hygiene and biobanking are more complex than we first appreciated and will vary from country to country. This has led our work in the UK to develop less invasive methods to cryopreserved poultry breeds. We would have not modified our research programme if we had not had our discussions with the host laboratory in Japan. We were able to hold a workshop in Japan and communicate with various cryopreservation scientists in the Tsukuba research hub on our new technological methods to conserve chicken breeds. |
| Exploitation Route | We publish our findings so they become communicated to both scientists (for exploitation) and to the lay public. There is still the opportunity to author a review article with our Japanese host laboratory or one of his students that has set up his own research group on a similar topic. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Description | We have had several interactions with the laboratory in Japan that has developed special techniques to cryopreserved chicken breeds. We were able to transferred our innovative cell culture medium to this laboratory in Japan which should influence their ability to preserve Japanese indigenous fowl. A recently graduated student from Dr Tagami's laboratory who took part in our interactions has just set up his own research group in Hiroshima, Japan. My lab will now collaborate with this young scientist and we will share our tools/methods to cryopreserve chicken breeds. At our last visit to the host laboratory in Japan, we held a workshop with presentations from both Japanese and UK scientists and visiting scientists from the local cryopreservation facility in Tsukuba, Japan on the uses of establishing biobanks for promoting agricultural food security. One of Dr Tagamis students who has his own research group has sent his colleague to work in my group at Roslin for 2 years. This is due to the collaborations/friendships we formed during the partnering grant. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Impact Types | Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Agri-tech Catalyst |
| Amount | £850,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2015 |
| End | 01/2018 |
| Title | A sterile surrogate host chicken that can be used to revive cryopreserved chicken breeds |
| Description | We have developed a genetically modified chicken that can be used to revive cryopreserved chicken breeds. We used precision gene editing tools to produce a chicken with a mutation in the gene DDX4. When bred to homozygosity, the chicken does not produce any eggs. This sterile chicken can be used as a host recipient for the transplantation of oocytes from other breeds of chicken. When stem cells from a rare chicken breed are transplanted into embryos from this chicken, the offspring produced will be from the rare breed of chicken. |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - non-mammalian in vivo |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This research has led to a publication in a major scientific journal. Many press articles reported this discovery and reported the positive uses of gene editing technology for preserving rare breeds of chicken. We have communicated these results to our Japanese partner of our Japan Partner Award. This chicken is currently being used tested in an Innovate UK project to develop and resurrect a rare breed of chicken. |
| URL | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/17/sterile-genetically-modified-chickens-protect-rare-b... |
| Title | Culturing of chicken stem cells for the cryopreservation of chicken breeds |
| Description | We have developed serum free culture conditions for propagating the stem cells that make sperm or eggs in chicken. These stem cells are taken from a chicken embryo and cultured in vitro to increase their numbers. These cells can then be cryopreserved safely and indefinitely. At a later time, the cells are introduced into a surrogate host embryo and the offspring from this host bird will come from the introduced cells. Our culture methods allows us to propagate these cells from any breed of chicken. These cells can be stored in liquid nitrogen and used to establish a frozen biobank for poultry breeds. |
| Type Of Material | Cell line |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We have communicated this cell culture technology to many research laboratories with the goal that they would be able to replicate our findings and begin to biobank breeds of chicken using cultured stem cells. These laboratories are in Japan, Israel, UAE, Iran, France, Hungary, USA, Germany. We have worked closely through our Japan Partner Award with Dr Tagami's laboratory in Tsukuba so that his researchers could implement our cell culture methodology. |
| URL | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4682126/ |
| Description | Training visit by NIGL laboratory to my laboratory at RI |
| Organisation | NARO Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My staff trained two scientists from NIGL |
| Collaborator Contribution | Two scientists from NIGL visited my laboratory to learn PGC technologies for our joint biobanking projects |
| Impact | We are now commencing two avian germ cell biobanks in India and Kenya using partly our knowledge gained in this exchange |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Training visit by NIGL laboratory to my laboratory at RI |
| Organisation | NARO Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted and trained staff from NIGL in my laboratory |
| Collaborator Contribution | This was a reciprocal exchange and ideas were exchanged in both directions. |
| Impact | We are consulting on how to meet the health standards in each of our countries for the use of biobanked material. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Training visit to NIGL laboratory by three members of Roslin Institute 2017 |
| Organisation | NARO Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Three of my laboratory scientists (two junior level postdoctoral scientists) and myself (group leader) went to Dr Tagami's lab to be trained in his biobanking techniques |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partners hosted our meeting and held a Biobank symposium |
| Impact | We are coululting and communication on how to meet the food standards in each of our countries using biobanked cellular material for poultry production sytems |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Transfer of personel to NAGL for training visit |
| Organisation | NARO Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Two research scientists visited host laboratory in Japan for training exercise |
| Collaborator Contribution | Host laboratory in Japan trained visiting scientists in avian biobank programme |
| Impact | Improvement of techniques for embryo hatching was achieved by this cooperative visit to host laboratory in Japan |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Published article received press coverage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Published article discussed in public online forum |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39006713 |
| Description | Published article receiving press coverage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Press article in the Telegraph describing biobanking of chicken breeds using GM chicken hosts in a positive light |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/17/rarechickensbrought-back-brink-extinction-edinburgh-unive... |
| Description | Published article receiving press coverage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Press article on gene targeted chicken used to study germ cell development and to develop surrogate host chickens for rare breed conservation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.ft.com/content/10000b26-f52c-11e6-8758-6876151821a6 |
| Description | editorial on uses of GM |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Presented to reporters at AAAS, Boston USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |